Once Vasya had agreed to sleep, Junko had finished her stretching and moved to set up a perch for herself near the window, close enough to be able to easily get a good view of their surroundings, but far enough away that she would not be immediately visible if someone were to pass by. Of course, if someone were to come by, she would sense them long before she saw them, or they saw her, as it were. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry. She’d never met anyone with an ability that let them mask their presence well enough to hide from her sensing abilities, but that didn’t mean that such an ability or such a person did not exist somewhere in this world, so she wouldn’t take any chances.
She spent most of the next few hours watching out the window, seeing the occasional monster or animal pass by, but seeing nothing truly noteworthy. Periodically, she checked on Vasya, who slept somewhere behind her. He had fallen asleep pretty quickly, and his breathing had soon been slow and even, but at some point, his sleep seemed somehow more restless than before. He wasn’t talking in his sleep, or flailing about, but every now and then he would twitch, move, make a slight facial expression, or his breathing pattern would change.
She wondered if he was having a nightmare, or if perhaps after everything that had happened since they’d met, he had perhaps finally met with this mysterious demon? Either way, she had no way of knowing which, if either of these was actually happening, so she didn’t dwell on it long. She simply went back to her watch, until the next time she checked on him. This went on for a while, until he eventually shook himself awake, drawing her attention to him once again when he groaned as he sat up.
“Good morning, sunshine,” she looked back at him with a hint of a smile. “Well, sort of, anyway,” she shrugged. “Have an eventful sleep?” she asked as she checked the surrounding once more before she stood and took a step away from the window before stretching. “I think your sleep was probably more exciting than my watch. Nothing particularly interesting happened, thankfully,” she reported as she finished her stretching.
She remained near the window, periodically looking out while continuing to keep her sense open as she gave him time to wake up before he took over for her. “My turn?” she asked when he seemed to be awake, alert, and ready to take over. Picking up her bow, she moved over close to where he had been sleeping and placed her pack against the wall, setting her bow next to it as she sat down and laid back again the pack. “Wake me if you need me,” she told him before closing her eyes and willing herself to sleep.
It wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep, her own breathing becoming slow and even. Sooner after falling asleep, she found herself in a dream where she was floating among the clouds, and before her, a figure sat atop a throne-like seat. The figure appeared as a female, perhaps not much older than Junko, with an appearance far too angelic for a demon.
Her long blonde hair was nearly as long as she was tall, with a feathery crown of sorts wrapping around the back of her head, from one side of her face to the other. She sported three pairs of white feathery wings, and even her clothes, a white feather dress with white gloves, long white stockings, white boots, and white feathery cloak all furthered this angelic appearance. Or at least they would have, if their revealing nature, her sensual pose, and the air around her didn’t lend themselves more to her demonic nature.
“Ah, Jun, you’ve come to see me. It’s been a while,” said a light, almost sing-song voice. “Well, I don’t think it’s as much that I came to see you as it is that you decided to appear in my dreams, but you are right, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” Junko replied in a soft but matter-of-fact manner. The woman who sat on the throne puffed out her cheeks, almost as if she were pouting, before floating over to Junko, moving behind her, and wrapping her apparently delicate arms around Junko’s more toned shoulders.
“Of course, it’s been a while! You never come to see me anymore,” the light voice pointed out with a pouty tone. “You used to come see me all the time.”
Junko chuckled softly, rubbing at her cheek with her fingertip in an embarrassed manner. “Well, I have been pretty busy, you know. And it isn’t often I get the chance to sleep deeply enough to dream nowadays,” she retorted with a soft sigh.
“I know. You really need to take better care of yourself, you know. It would be a pain if I had to train up a new host,” the other woman chided with a gentle huff, as if such an idea was unacceptable.
“Right. Of course. I will try to be more mindful. I’m sleeping now, aren’t I?” Junko reminded her. “At any rate, did you pop into my dreams for a reason, Airi, or did you just miss me that much?” she asked with a teasing smile.
“Mmmm…” Airi puffed out her cheeks again. “Of course, I had a reason!” she insisted, releasing Junko and moving in front of her, floating an inch or so off the ground rather than standing. “That boy, and the demon inside of him…” her soft features took on a more solemn expression as she paused.
Junko tilted her head slightly as she watched the demon before her. “Hmm? Vasya? What about him?” she asked curiously. “And on that note, do you know anything about that demon?”
“Well, I can’t say for sure at this point, but when the boy used his power, it felt… familiar somehow,” Airi explained, sighing softly. “Anyways, just be careful and don’t put too much trust in him for now, okay? I can’t have you getting yourself hurt, or killed,” she warned before pausing for a moment. “And don’t you even think about romance!” she added, leaning forward so that her face was close to Junko’s as she narrowed her eyes in warning.
“Eh?” Junko stared at her with a blank expression for a moment before flicking the demon in the forehead. “Obviously, I hadn’t thought about that. Romance is the last thing on my mind right now. Quit your worrying,” she waved a hand dismissively and watched as the demon pouted and rubbed her forehead. “Besides, I hardly see how my love life, or lack thereof, has anything to do with you,” she quirked a brow curiously before shrugging. “Well, anyway, I am always careful, and I have no intention of dying anytime soon,” she assured the demon.
“Be that as it may, you and I both know that you are too trusting for your own good sometimes. You are too optimistic, and you want to see the best in others, even if there isn’t much good to see. You’re clever and you have good instincts about people, both of which serve you well, but your desire to find the good will blind you from even your own better judgment if you let it,” Airi warned, sighing softly. “Honestly. You would do well to learn to be a little more skeptical of people. Or have you already forgotten what happened the last time you put your trust in people?”
Junko clicked her tongue and looked away, shaking her head. “Of course, I haven’t forgotten. I’ll never forget. I just…” she paused, sighing softly. “I don’t want to believe that everyone in this world is like them…” she muttered softly to herself. “Anyways, I’ll be careful, alright?” she assured her. “Is there anything else you need?” she asked, looking back at the demon.
“Eh? Trying to leave already? But you just got here!” Airi leaned close to her again, pouting a little as she did. “There is something else I need, as a matter of fact,” she nodded with a mischievous smile before grabbing Junko’s hand and pulling her over to the throne, where she gave her a gentle push, causing her to fall back into the seat. “I need you to stay and keep me company for a little while longer. I get lonely in here all by myself, you know,” she told her with an innocent smile that stood in contrast to the sultry tone in her voice and the seductive manner in which she leaned over Junko’s lap.
Junko was surprised when the demon took her hand, but she didn’t resist as she was pulled along towards the throne, or even when she was gently pushed into the chair. She blinked in surprise as she watched Airi lean over her seductively, looking as though she were about to climb into her lap. “Huh?” she blinked again before shaking her head. “Fine, I’ll stay, but only if you quit acting so… weird,” she told the demon, poking her in her head as if it would snap her out of whatever this was.
Airi pouted just a little before shrugging. “Oh, alright,” she answered in a sing-song manner as she plopped herself down next to Junko. “Let’s chat, then!” she said in a light but chipper voice. The two did just that, chatting, and perhaps training a little, until it was finally time for Junko to wake up.
After several hours has passed, Junko’s eyelids fluttered open and she blinked for a few moments, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she sat up. Reaching her arms above her head, she stretched a bit, yawning softly before looking around to find her companion.
_________________ Check out my resume!"One day the earth will open wide and I'll follow you inside, because the only hell I know is without you." - Starset.
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